CureVac N.V. has entered a collaboration with the UK Government to develop and manufacture potential vaccine candidates against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Any resulting vaccine candidates will be manufactured and distributed in the UK and its overseas and territories, subject to approval. The objective of the collaboration is to mitigate the effects of the current pandemic and help prepare against future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks by working on multiple variant vaccines.
 
The R&D collaboration combines CureVac’s resources and expertise in mRNA vaccine development with the scientific experience of the Vaccines Taskforce and the UK’s network of experts and capabilities in SARS-CoV-2 vaccine research and development. As part of the collaboration, the VTF and CureVac will assess multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants and are expected to generate vaccine candidates against those selected. Clinical studies will be expedited in the UK in order to secure emergency or conditional marketing authorizations for selected vaccine candidates against the most threatening variant viruses.
 
CureVac will also transfer its technology to enable the manufacturing of clinical and commercial quantities of any vaccines that result from the collaboration, as well as manufacturing of CureVac's existing vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 (CVnCoV), currently in Phase 3 trials.
 
Subject to regulatory approval, the agreement includes an initial supply of 50 million doses of variant vaccines to the UK with some production expected to take place in the UK. Additionally, the agreement foresees that manufacturing capabilities will be in place for rapid production of large quantities of variant vaccines for the UK if and when needed over the next three years. CureVac is expecting to use its broader manufacturing network to produce variant vaccine candidates for global supply.